Car coupler



June 11, 1935; A, c SCHMOHL r AL Q 2,004,221

CAR COUPLER Filed April 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F517 2 l i? /%WA ORNEY' June 1-1 1935.

A. c. SCHMOHL r-rr AL 2,004,221 CAR COUPLER Filed April 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 4 OAR; COUPLER I Alfred: C. Schmolfl, lB eaver r .7 N. .D. Asper, ,Koppel, Pa., Koppel' assignments, to Equipment. Company,

Falls, and Halfdan a'ssignors, by mesne Industrial Car. and McKees Rocks, "Pa"; a'

corporation of Pennsylvania. :Application April 29,'J1931, Serial bio/5335600 11 Claims. (01. 213 9) vOur invention pertains to couplers and, particularly, to that typedof coupler known as the link and pin coupler, which is used chiefly in mine cars and other small cars, particularly adapted to in dustrial use. I

. An object of pler of the link and pin is adapted to .our invention is to provide a coutype in which the link be moved into. a position within the coupler head so asto be out of the way of the 1 entering link of the adjacent coupler being therewith.

joined Another object of our invention isto provide a coupler of the link and pin type. in which the" link, when moved to idle or inactive position, will be free of the coupling pin. i

A further object of our invention is to provide av coupler of link may. be

the link and pin type in which the moved into and retained a coupling position and moved out of coupling position into an inactive position by the operator while standing adj ac of the way of the opposing-coupler of the adjacent oar as'the two Referring now. to the drawings, 25. plan the coupler gether with the ent one side of the coupler and out cars are being coupled. I

Fig. l shows in of two adjacent cars coupled to-' link of one coupler moved to idle position andthe link of theother coupler shown in pulling position;

Fig. 2 is a view taken along line.2--2 of Fig. 1 showing a side elevation of one coupler and a sectional view of the other coupler;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the housing shown in Fig. taken along the rear face of the housing with the .backing plate removed; Fig. 4 shows in elevation, thecoupling link; Fig. 5 shows the rear face of the coupler in Fig. 2 taken along the lines 5-'5 of Fig. 1 with the spring housing removed; Fig. 6

is an end view of the shown in Fig; 2 and taken front face of the coupler along line 6-6 of Fig.

1 with. the coupling link and pin removed; Fig.

'lshows in elevation the 8 is a planvie 9. shows in elevation,

head in Fig. 2;

drawhead of Fig. 2; Fig. drawheadof Fig. 7; Fig. the housing for the draw- Fig. 10 is a plan view of the housw of the detailto the drawings wherein like reference characters refer tolike parts,

reference characters couplers, each I and Zindicate opposing including drawheads 3. and hous includes bufiing faces 3 Each housing 4 comforwardly projecting spaced.

portions "between which the drawhead shank 3 is inserted. Adjacent. th

buffingfaces 3 of. the coupler withinthe openings 1 and 1. Each pin comprises a link engaging portion 9 and a handle portion Ill. The handle portion ID has an opening therein through which one end of the link engaging portion 9 is inserted. The portion 9 has its free end enlarged to prevent removal of the pin 8 from the drawhead throughthe opening I. In assembling the pin the small end of the portion 9 is inserted through the opening opening .Lthehandle portion I0 is attached to the small end and secured therein by a transverse pin or other means. It will be observed that the openingJ is large enough to pass the enlarged endof the pin 8 and theopening I is large enough to pass the major portion of the pin, but too small to, permit passage of the enlarged end, thereby preventing accidental removal of the pin 8 from the drawhead.

I The shankfi of the drawhead has an opening I I. therein which extends from the buffing face of the drawhead through the rear wall of the drawhead shankas shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. The side walls ofthe drawhead shank are provided with flanges I I? restricting the opening II and the end wall 21 partially closes the rear of the opening, II for a purpose-hereinafter set forth. Thebottom wall of the shank portion is depressed as at II from the end wall 21 to adja cent the bufiing faces 3 for a purpose herein-. after set forth.

Mounted within the opening I I of the drawhead shank is a coupling link I2 having a slottedpin engaging portion. I3. and a butt portion I4, the

latter moving within the depression II This loss when the drawhead is mounted upon the car.

A handle I5 may be inserted through the opening I5 of the drawhead and secured in the butt portion. I4 of the link for convenient manipulation of thelinkinto and out of coupling position without the operator going between the cars for this purpose. I

Asshown by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, each drawhead is provided .witha coupling link I2, but one of which is active in joining the op posing couplers. The link which is not in active use is moved to idle position by rotation on its butt portion I4 so as to bring the portion I3 of the link between the fianges I'l andthe entire link noved inwardly a sufiicient distance to per- I and upwardly through the 10 to the end of the top and bottom the opening slotted portion l3 to transmit pulling forces from the link to the drawhead.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 3andi9" of the'draw ings the housing i comprises the rear face or base f havingspaced forwardly projecting spring housings I1. These latter housings'aresemi-cir'cular in form having openings facing inwardly fromthe hollow, having an opening l6 extendingfromend to end thereof. inwardly of the outer end 'o'f'th housing I! is a shoulder I9 and between this shoulder i9 'andthe outer end of the housing, the

opening I6 is enlarged for a purpose hereinafter set forth. 7'

Referring now to Figs. 4, 7, 9 andll of the drawings it is apparent that a coupler of this design not only provides a means for coupling two cars together butalso absorbs the shocks incidental to bringing the cars together to effect coupling and-the pulling strains when the cars are in motion. In assembling the draw head 3 and housing 4, the openings [6 in the portions I 1 of the housing 4 are large enough to permit the insertion of the shoulders I8 of the drawhead. The openings it are restrictediin diameter fromthe shoulders l9to the rear face of the housing 4 and contain the coiled springs 5. At 'one end of the spring 5 a washer-2U spaces the spring from the shoulder i8 of the drawhead 3 and at the other end a cap 2| serves to cover the end of the spring and to provide a seat for the head of thebolt 6. f a After inserting the spring 5 within the opening l6 the washers 20 and spring caps 2| are placed at their respective ends of the spring and the bolts 6 are inserted. The shoulders l8 of the draw head "are placed within the openings l6 and one 5 are passed through the openings 22 in the shoulders [8. The nuts 23 are thenplaced on the bolt 6 and the housing and draw head are secured together. A plate 2'4 is placed over the entire rear face of the'housing and is secured in place by machine screws 25 or other fasteningmeans. Thispresents a smooth face on the rear of the coupler and permits assembling car by means 'of bolts or other fastening means inserted through the openings 26. Fromthe above it will be apparent that when two cars equipped with couplers of this design come together during 'operation of the cars, the shoulders N3 of the draw heads move inwardly of H3 in the housing 4 and compress the spring 5 which takes up any shocks and prevents their being transmitted to the car underframe. Likewise when the cars are at rest and are lee-- ing put into motion, the transmitted through the boltB and spring caps-2| to the springs 5 which take up the starting shocks and thus protect the car underframe.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent*is:- 1 1:111 a car couplerin combination, a'housing, a drawhead, said housing comprising a portion for mounting upon a car body and a plurality 'of-sup head through the a c'ouping edges of the housingbase and are 1 pull of the draw head is;

ports for the drawhead, said drawhead comprising a bufiing face, a butt portion for the reception of the coupling link, and a plurality of lugs on said butt portion inwardly of the bufiing face and adapted to engage the supports on said housing.

2. In a car coupler, a housing and a drawhead, a coupling link within said drawhead, a floor in said drawhead, an offset portion in "said floor extending from back of the front face of the drawrear of the head, an enlarged butt on saidlink seated in said offset portion, said housing preventing removal of the link through the rear of said head;

3. In a "car coupler, a housing and a drawhead, link. within said drawhead, a floor in said drawhead, an offset portion in the floor extending from back of the front face of the drawhead through therear of the head, an enlarged butt on said link seated in said offset portion, the housing preventing removal of the link through the rear 'of'said head and openings in the sides of the drawhead and housing for the reception ofthe link when in idle position.

4. .In aicar coupler in combination, a housing, 7

a drawhead movably mounted within the housing, shoulders projecting from the drawhead, shoulders within the housing adapted to engage the shoulders of the drawhead, thereby limiting the inward travel thereof, and resilient meansmounted within said housing engaging the shoulders on the drawhead. j

5. In a car coupler in combination; a housing, a drawhead movably mounted'within the housing, said drawhead comprising a buffing face and a. butt portion, shoulders projecting from saidbutt portion, shoulderswithin the housing adapted to engage the shoulders on the drawhead thereby limiting therinward travel thereof and resilient means mounted within said housing engaging the shoulders on the drawhead.

6. Ina spring coupler of the class described, a spring housing and drawhead retaining member comprisinga base having vertically spaced pairs of spring housings, each pair being joined by a horizontally disposed web to form a drawhead re-' ing comprising a spring enclosure and an enlarged end portion on the said enclosure to receive and support a drawhead, each end of the enclosure being closed by a suitably'apertured means to receive a fastening member passing through both closing means to secure the drawhead in position;

7. Ina spring coupler of the class described, a spring housing and drawhead retaining member comprising'a base, a plurality of spring housings secured to the base and spaced to receive a draw head 'between the housings, springs in said hous-. ings, means associated with the base and housings to secure the drawhead in position and apertures in the base member to receive fastening members for securing the coupler to a car body.)

8. In a spring coupler of the class described, a

drawhead V'comprising a horizontal bifurcated coupling link having an enlarged endiportion and mounted in the chamber of the drawhead, said link being insertable through the rear faceof said butt portion and retained by said restriction in the chamber adjacent the bufling face, a coupling pin on the drawhead spanning the, bifurca- 7 tion in the buffing face and detachably engaging the coupling link, anda housing member completing the coupler having portions engaging the shoulders on the drawhead.

9. In a car coupler, in combination, a drawhead comprising a horizontally bifurcated buffing face and a butt portion having a longitudinally disposed opening therein connecting with the bifurcation in the buffing face, said opening being smallest adjacent said buffing face, restricted openings in the sides of said butt portion joining the bifurcation in the drawhead, a coupling link within the butt portion and having an enlarged end portion of a size larger than the drawhead butt side openings or end opening adjacent the bufl'ing face, and a body portion smaller than said side opening, a coupling pin in the drawhead adjacent the bufiing face and movable for selective engagement with the coupling link when in pulling position, and for disengagement therefrom to permit storage of the linkwithin the said butt portion and projecting throughsaid butt side openings independent of the pin, and a housing member for mounting the drawhead upon a car.

10. In a car coupler, a drawhead having a bifurcated buffing face, a coupling pin disposed rearwardly of said face and spanning the bifurcation, a butt portion on the drawhead having a longitudinally disposed chambered opening joining the bifurcation of the buifing face and side opening forming a continuation of said bifurcation, a coupling link within the butt portion and normally adapted to project beyond the, bufling face, said linkwhen in pulling position being retained within the drawhead through engagement with the coupling pin and beingadapted to be stored, in idle position, within the butt portion of the drawhead in a position transversely thereof, independently of the pin, said link having an enlarged end portion preventing removal of the link through the side openings in the butt portion when in storage position.

11. In a spring coupler, a spring housing and drawhead supporting member comprising a base provided with a plurality of spaced hollow spring housings, a drawhead provided with "spaced shoulders for engagement within said spring housings, apertures in said shoulders, a compression spring within each housing and behind each.

drawhead shoulder, apertured spring abutment members at each endof each spring, means retaining the abutment members within the housing and a fastening member extending longitudinally of each spring and through apertures in the drawhead shoulders and abutment members to retain the drawhead and supporting member in assembled relation.

ALFRED C. SCHMOI-IL. HALFDAN N. D. ASPER. 

